Beauty and the Beast
by marieXXXvoila
Summary: Riddles keep secrets. And the Count has a riddle for you. Solve it, and Jasmine may just be the Beauty for this Beast.
1. Hunted

**Disclaimer: I own Jasmine and no one else.**

**A/N: This isn't my first FF… this is the first one that I'm posting on this account. So don't compliment me because you THINK I'm new. Compliment me because you liked the story.**

Jasmine ran. She ran as fast and far as her bare feet could carry her on the frozen forest ground. Lately what had scared her most of all had been the shadow that would stand at her window every night. But right now what she feared most was the giant were-wolf that was chasing her. The second her foot hit the log she knew it was all over. Later she would swear that she had seen her life pass before her eyes in the moment that she was falling. And as soon as she hit the ground she could almost feel the beast's hot breath on her neck. The rumbling footfalls came closer and closer to her and just as she felt the ground shaking, they stopped. Everything was still and quiet for a moment. And then someone began to speak, ordering the wolf to return home. It listened! She was about to stand and thank the stranger when she realized that only one man could have had that sort of control over the wolf. With that thought she jumped to her feet and started running again.

She was no longer running from a giant wolf, but instead she was running from a giant bat. _Why are all these creatures after me? _She thought to herself as she panted wildly. Her legs were beginning to give way and she knew she couldn't run much longer. For the second time that night she fell, her beautiful black hair surrounding her. She somehow twisted in the fall and landed face up. Immediately she shut her eyes. Her literally luminescent green eyes would serve as beacons to the beast that now hunted her. But it was too late. The giant bat had landed and turned back into the most feared man in Transylvania. Count Dracula. Jasmine did her best to hold back tears because she did not want to seem weak when she died. She wanted to go with strength on her face and no fear in her heart. However Dracula could see right through her facet, and she knew it.

He inched closer to her and she waited for that look of malice to show in the moonlight. Instead what greeted her was a look of concern. She suddenly became too confused, and mixed in with how tired she was, she passed out.


	2. Notes

A/N: I know the first chapter was short. This will be longer and have a little bit more detail. I was just getting the story started.

It took Jasmine no time at all to realize where she was when she awoke in the luxurious bedroom she now found herself in. Immediately she ran to the window. She was too high up there was no way of getting out. As she ran to the door she noticed a note on the table. She skidded to a halt and picked it up, reading it quickly:

I hope you find your room accommodating. There are some new clothes for you in the wardrobe and you may freshen up in the bathroom if you like. I'll know when you are awake and will give you a few minutes before I come to check on you. If you are hungry we can eat or if not I can just explain to you why you're here. I suspect you would be more interested in the second choice.

Sincerely,

D

Jasmine dropped the note on the floor and ran towards the door. She skidded to yet another halt when there was a knock on the door. "Wh-who is it?" she asked, her voice trembling. As if she had to ask. There was no answer the door just opened. And there he was. The one man she feared. The one man she never wanted to meet.

Count Vladislaus Dracula walked into the room. He had a smirk on his face. Jasmine didn't like it at all it made her feel sick. She backed away as he came closer and she soon tripped and fell back onto the bed. She scrambled back until she hit the headboard. Assuming a fetal position she looked at him with fear in her eyes. He stopped and looked on the floor, picking up the letter he had left her.

"I thought perhaps you wouldn't read this," he said, holding the smirk firm. "I suspected you would be to panicked to care," he added. He dropped the note back on the floor and moved a little closer. "If you haven't figured it out," he started, looking her straight in the eye, "I'm not going to hurt you… yet… so you can relax for now." Jasmine wasn't convinced.

"And you expect me, keeping in mind the fact that I come from a village you have terrorized for years, to believe that?" she asked, somewhat surprised with her own boldness. Dracula frowned.

"I don't do that because I want to I do that because I, like you, get hungry every now and again." Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"You and I feel very different kinds of hunger Count," she spat out his title as if it were a bitter taste in her mouth. Dracula regained his smirk.

"Enough of this. I believe that I owe you an explanation. First off I would like to address myself as the shadow outside your window. I apologize for frightening you but I was not yet ready to make myself known to you. I would also like to remind you that you owe me something in return for saving you from the monster," Dracula said all of this in a matter-of-factly tone.

"You're the monster Dracula. I owe you nothing," Jasmine said angrily. He continued as if she had said nothing.

"Now for the reason I have been watching you and my reasoning for bringing you here." His voice seemed to soften as he explained. "You are quite lovely Jasmine. And strong. Both physically and mentally. I cannot ignore this." His voice hardened again. "I also cannot ignore the fact that I am in need of a bride. You seem to fit the criteria very well." Jasmine was horrified.

"I will never be _your _bride Dracula. Never!" He suddenly did something unexpected. He pulled a rose from thin air and handed it to her, with another note pinned to it.

"We will see my dear. We will see," he whispered and disappeared.


	3. A Riddle For You

A/N: I want to thank everyone for all of the reviews I have been getting. It's been a few days but I'm finally getting to sitting down and writing the next part of the story! Yay! Also I changed the title because I think it's more fitting to where I want the story to go.

Was this a romantic gesture? No of course not it was a trick! Or was it? Jasmine didn't know what to think. She didn't even know if she wanted to read the note. Would she let her curiosity get the best of her, or would she basically annoy the Count by not reading it at all? Would this even upset him? A single flower with a single note had unearthed so many questions in Jasmines mind and heart that she felt sick to her stomach. Confusion was not something that she dealt with very well.

She carefully unpinned the note from the stem of the rose and picked open the envelope. Jasmine didn't know what to expect, and yet what she read wasn't anything like what she had expected. It read:

_Time is a funny thing,_

_When it flies on a broken wing._

_When it never passes and never ends,_

_And time is a funny thing._

_Forget everything that you have been told,_

_The rumors of new and the stories of old._

_For within this castle lies not a monster,_

_And time is a funny thing._

_What awaits is not a beast of hell,_

_But a lover has broken in his own shell._

_For you awaits a trying journey._

_And time is a funny thing._

_A sterling treasure is where you shall begin,_

_A book of gold that goes untold lies hidden far within._

_To find the item and to seek the prize,_

_You must look into these cyan eyes._

_But watch the rhythm of the clock,_

_And time is a funny thing._

_Next find a place with memories lost,_

_Even at the highest cost._

_And soon your prince shall emerge,_

_But time is a precious thing._

A riddle? The last thing she had expected was a riddle. What did Dracula want her here for? What was her purpose in his scheme? What was his scheme? The confusion began to set in again. She read the note over a few more times but still did not understand exactly what it meant. She knew she was supposed to help Dracula… but with what? And how? And why her?

A sudden grumble in her abdomen told her that now was not the time to wonder about this riddle. Another riddle had arisen. Where was she to get food?

A/N: Shelly and I both wrote this poem. And I know this chapter was short but the only thing that was really important in it was the note.


	4. Regret

A/N: wow this story is becoming SOMEWHAT popular. I mean people are actually reading it. That's cool! Um… and now on with the chapter!

Jasmine poked her head out of the door to her room. She looked left and right before stepping out and inching away from the door. She could smell food, and it smelled delicious. Although at this point she would have settled for anything eatable. She followed the smell through winding corridors and past rooms that she did not dare to curiously wonder into. And soon enough she had found what she was looking for.

Before her was a grand dining room. A table set in the middle was filled with food. She twirled her curly black hair around her finger and contemplated whether it was safe to eat. It hadn't been _that _long since she had eaten anything and it wasn't like she was skin and bones… yet.

"Don't want to spoil your girlish figure?" asked a male voice from behind her. Jasmine spun around and came face to face with the Count. She hadn't realized how tall he was compared to her. She was only twenty and hadn't grown much in her childhood. He towered over her and she felt uncomfortable because of it. Jasmine looked down at her hourglass figure and shrugged. She had been caught out of her room and felt as if she were in trouble. "It's safe to eat," the Count said bluntly. He walked around her and sat down at the table, putting his feet up and leaning his chair back. He looked at the food with a face filled with remorse but only for a moment did it shine through.

"How can I trust you?" Jasmine asked. The truth was she didn't care she was starving and wanted to eat.

"I can't force you to. But if you want to survive I suggest you do." He replied with a smirk.

"You call that not forcing me to trust you?" Jasmine snapped. Dracula's eyes flared for a moment, showing slight anger, but he held himself back. He didn't say anything. He just stared at the food almost longingly.

Jasmine rolled her eyes and plopped down at the table, slumping in her chair. Reluctantly she grabbed a piece of bread near by and ate it slowly. "Being around you makes me loose my appetite," she said when she noticed the Count looking at her. Dracula smirked and looked the other way. He'd been insulted before, he was used to it. Jasmine was getting frustrated with his lack of emotional response. She figured it was true what everyone said about him. He was heartless. And yet something was pulling at her making her think otherwise. She shook it off and continued with her piece of bread.

"Just the bread then? Well I suppose I can throw all this out," Dracula said standing up and rubbing his hands together as if he were cold. Jasmine jumped up suddenly.

"No!" she paused for a moment looking embarrassed. "I mean… I'll eat," she muttered. She had to admit defeat on this one, she was hungry.

Dracula never took his eyes off of her while she ate. He wished he could eat something but the food just turned to ash in his mouth. Jasmine looked up at him every now and then and could tell what he was thinking. He wasn't exactly making an effort to hide it. Once she had finished, it was time for questions.

"So um," she started nervously, as she pushed her plate away. "That riddle. I was wondering…"

"Let's not talk about that," he said, cutting her off. "This is not the time for it. The sun shall be rising soon and I must retire for the day. Please forgive me for leaving so quickly," he rushed before standing, nodding good day, and leaving through a door to the right of him. Everything had gone so fast that Jasmine was unsure what to do. So she just sat there until about noon when she went back to her room.

Jasmine was thinking about her family. How awful they had been. How they had mocked her for thinking that way about him. Survival was not a crime. She felt sorry for him and obviously expressing this to her family had been a mistake. Now she was trapped in his domain and she was regretting defending him.


	5. The Door and a Promise

A/N: I've been getting a ridiculous amount of complaints about the length of the chapters. I WRITE SHORT CHAPTERS! Would you prefer me to ramble? Because I know myself and that's what I would do if I tried to write chapters that were any longer. So please… stfu.

Jasmine sat in her room just thinking. It astounded her that she already thought of it as her room. Was it really? What would her family thing if they knew that she was calling a place in _his_ castle her room? Who cared? Her family had mocked her. She could now see that maybe, just maybe, they were right and she was wrong. And yet something told her otherwise. Was he really all that bad? After all, he had given her food, shelter, saved her from the wolf, and had been very kind to her overall. No! He was a monster and a horrible person and deserved no praise from her. She shook all of these unorganized thoughts from her head.

At this point, her curiosity was getting the better of her. She wanted to explore this fortress of darkness. She wanted to see what secrets its doors were hiding from her. She didn't care if it wasn't safe. When she wanted to explore, she explored. Without another moments hesitation she walked out of her room and headed in some random direction.

Unfortunately for her most doors were locked. She found a huge library and kept a mental note of where it was. But she wasn't done. After twisting and turning her way around Castle Dracula she came to a most peculiar door. It was much taller than she was and made of wood. The wood was painted black and there were intricate silver designs twisting their way around the door. This must have been a special place and she wanted to see what was behind this door. But much to her dismay when she pushed on the handle it did not click. It was locked, and she would not be entering. But when she tried to shrug and walk away she couldn't. Something was holding her to the door.

Jasmine walked slowly back up to the door and pushed again. What did she expect of course it didn't open! She ran her fingers across the intricate designs. They clearly meant nothing… and yet they meant something to her. She could trace them with her eyes closed as if she knew it. As if fate had brought her to this door. But what nonsense! She didn't believe in fate! She huffed and spun on her heel to walk back to the library.

Sitting on one of the plush couches that surrounded the fireplace in the library she opened the book she had picked out and flipped to a random page. Although she was staring at the words, reading them even, she was not thinking about them. She was thinking about that door. Why did she feel so strongly about something so common? After all it was nothing but a nicely painted door. Nothing about a door is particularly interesting. But no matter how hard she tried she could not push the thought of that door out of her mind. Not until nightfall when someone disturbed her.

"I knew I would find you here," said that now familiar voice. Jasmine looked up from her book, which she still wasn't really reading, and looked at the Count. She wanted to ask about the door, but she had a feeling he wouldn't tell her anything. Was it possible that he couldn't?

"And how did you know that?" she asked in a somewhat harsh tone. Dracula rolled his eyes.

"You think I haven't been watching you?" said a voice right in her ear. She jumped slightly as he appeared behind her. "I know everything there is to know about you, Jasmine. Your love of reading, your opinionated nature, the fact that you defended me even though it cost you your relationship with your family." He finished with a hint of triumph in his voice.

Jasmine jumped to her feet. "YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING ME? YOU SICK, SICK MAN! YOU DISGUSTING THING!" she screamed.

"You still owe me my dear. I did save your life. Now please stop yelling," he said coolly. Jasmine just glared silently at him.

"Fine," she said after a long pause. "What the hell do you want?" Once again he appeared behind her, whispering in her ear.

"You," he said softly. Jasmine was numb all over. She was shaking and she had never been so frightened in her life, or so crushed. Her mother had been right. That _was _all he would ever want from a woman. Jasmine turned around and glared at him.

"Count, you can _never_ have me," she said coldly. But as she headed for the door he appeared once again, leaning casually against the door this time.

"You may not have figured this much out already. But I _always _get what I want. And I will have you, for you owe me, and you cannot deny that," he said with a smirk. Jasmine could not deny it any longer. She _did_ owe him. And she would have to repay him sooner or later. She sighed in defeat.

"Give me until tomorrow night. Please. Let me just, think," she begged. And she really was begging now. The Count said nothing in response. He just moved out of her way and bowed, motioning to the door. Jasmine walked out and closed the door behind her. She flat out ran back to her room, slammed the door behind her, collapsed onto her bed, and cried herself to sleep. Tomorrow night, she was to loose her dignity.

**A/N: Rating may rise if I feel like flat out writing a scene like that.**


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